Where is the best place to eat affordable seafood in Rhode Island that is accessible from Providence on public transit?

January 15, 2009 5:32 PM

Where is the best place to eat affordable seafood in Rhode Island that is accessible from Providence on public transit?

I am a college student with not much money. I live in Providence. I want to enjoy Rhode Island seafood. Trick is... I don't have a car. Where do I go?

posted by peetle to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Get thee to Narragansett! You can take the 66 or the 14 bus to the area. The 66 goes right about to Turtle Soup and The Coast Guard House and the beach. Also, the amazing CRAZY BURGER!!!!! is nearby.
posted by mkb at 6:17 PM on January 15, 2009 [2 favorites]

I second Narragansett. So freakin' GOOD. And one day when you do have a car, head to Middletown (on Aquidneck Island) and go to Johnny's on Aquidneck Avenue. (Although come to think of it, you can get a shuttle from the airport to the Howard Johnson's in Middletown, just down the street from Johnny's for about $15.) It's a tiny little diner right near the Christmas Tree Shop (ask anyone - everyone knows it) and on Friday's they have a HUGE plate of scallops for about $5. Their mussels, shrimp, blue craps, oysters and clams are all delicious and CHEAP.
posted by cachondeo45 at 8:15 PM on January 15, 2009

You shouldn't have to worry much about the cost of transportation; unless things have changed since I lived there, RIPTA will take you pretty much anywhere that matters. From Providence you can catch a bus that'll go all the way to Bristol, Newport, or Narragansett.

I lived in Newport so all the seafood restaurants I could recommend would be overpriced (except Scales and Shells, which is expensive too but 110% worth it).
posted by xbonesgt at 8:40 PM on January 15, 2009

If you're still around in early June, the Great Chowder cookoff festival in Newport is a nice way to try chowder (and clamcakes) from all over the state and beyond. They also have vendors selling quahaug's on the halfshell, steamers and assorted RI specialties, like Dels!
posted by csimpkins at 9:14 AM on January 16, 2009

Sorry for the late response, but just wanted to note that I went to Scales & Shells in Newport based on xbonesgt's comment and found it indeed expensive, but NOT worth it.

I'm new to RI, also a fan of affordability, seafood and public transportation, and here's what I've found: Newport and Middletown have a lot of options, as others have said, and you can get there via the 60 bus from Providence. I strongly recommend Anthony's in Middletown (check out their very thorough website!), and The Moorings specifically for clam chowder. Dunno about the rest of their food, but the chowder is amazing. It's kind of a pricey place, so if you don't want to go in there just for chowder, they also sell cups of chowder via the ticket window at the Newport skating rink. Get some there, and maybe go ice skating while you're at it!
posted by illenion at 7:29 PM on January 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

oh man! Sorry it didn't turn out well for you, illenion. It's been about four years since I'd been there last; maybe something has changed for the worse.
posted by xbonesgt at 12:14 PM on February 2, 2009